Drinking fountain apparatus



' Sept. 6, 1932.

C. ROBERGE DRINKING FOUNTAIN APPARATUS Filed Jan. 14. 1951 v INVENTOR. 1%J2g25 A TTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 6, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE CHARLES ROBERGE, or WILLIAMSBURG,MASSACHUSETTS, AssreNon. 'ro rUno sA I- ran!v DRINKING FOUNTAIN coMrnNY, A 'COPARTNERSHIP or MASSACHUSETTS, CONSISTING or CHRISTIAN J. HILLS AND REUBEN :B. HILLS, or nnynn vvrtnn,

MASSACHUSETTS 'D INKING FOUNTAIN APPARATUS Application filed January 14, 1931. Serial No. 508,710.

This invention relates to improvements in drinking fountain apparatus and is directed more particularly to improvementsin heads and water discharging devices of drinking fountain apparatus.

According to the principal object of the invention, a drinking fountain head is provided which has associated therewith a nozzle or -tip for discharging water from the head which is constructed and arranged to discharge a uniform stream. Thatis to say, the nozzle or tip is'arranged to function for uniform discharge without regard tOVELIlL- tions in the pressure of the water supply. According to special features of the invention the apparatus is adapted, when pressure in the system varies to deliver a predetermined amount of water and. to discharge any excess into a discharge chamber with which the head is provided. I j 1 Various novel features and advantages of the invention and the mode of operation will be more fully hereinafter referred to in the accomponying description ofthe preferred form of the invention. which for purposes of disclosure is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein: p

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a drink ing fountain embodying the novel features of the invention.

. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the drinking fountain head shown in Fig. 1, and V I I Fig.3 is a longitudinal sectional elevational view through the nozzle or tip shown in the invention will be described more fully.

As shown in Fig. 1, a drinking fountain head 2 is provided which may be generally in the form of a crescent. This head 2 consists of side walls 4, a lower or rearward wall 6, and joined together walls 8 and 10. These walls are joined together to form a chamber 9 which has a discharge outlet 18 at the lower end of the head. The upper end of the wall 10 and the upper end of the rear wall 6 are joined together at the upper side of the head to provide a portion 12 joined to cheeks 14 to form what may be. called a cowl 16 at the upper side of the head. As will be seen in Fig. 2, the walls are curving at the upper cowl portion of the headand the discharge orifice 18 is provided in the upper side of the walls within the cowl. V

A nozzle or tip 20 is as shown secured in some suitable manner in' the head and a fitting 22 is screwed into the head below the tip. This receivesa water supply pipe 24 by which pipe the head maybe supported-if desired. Of course the head may be supported I in other ways. e

Water enters thesupply pipe 24," passes through the nozzle or tip 20 and is discharged thereby forwardly and upwardly through the orifice 18 and throughthe cowl in the direction of the arrow shown.

It will be appreciated that when a head-of this type is connected to a water system that the pressure in the system is likely to vary. That is, at times the pressure is relatively greater or less than at others and accordin,

ly the stream of water discharged by thenozzle orv tips would ordinarily likewise vary.

7 It is to overcome this varying tendency of the stream discharged that certain novel features of the invention are directed.- Toaca plug 32 reciprocable therein. A cap 34v is providedin the outer end of the nozzle to.

limit the upward or outward movement of the plug.

One or more side openings are pro+ vided in the lower side of the nozzle and bores 33 and are provided in the plug 32 and. cap 34: as shown. These bores may be of any desired size and will be preferably of some appreciable length so that water passing through them will be discharged fromthe nozzle in a smooth stream which is'of course desirable.

7 It is usual in connection with such devices to provide a control valve in the line,

such as 24c, sup,plyin'g,water to the headso that the nozzle will discharge a predeters mined amount of water. Such acontrol however is not'adaquate to compensate for variationsin pressure which effect thefstreal'n discharged. According to the'mode of operation of the nozzle of the invention, in,

order to compensate for pressure variations or increase of pressure in the system will cause the plug 32 to be elevated. It will of course be elevated more or less according to the degree of increase of pressure. When the plug is thus elevated from its seat water will be discharged through the outlets 30 into the chamber 9 of the head. In this way excess pressure or additional pressure isrelieved without affecting the'stream being discharged by the nozzle or tip. Therefore the pressure may fluctuate more or less and excess water accommodated while the stream discharge may remain. constant and uniform, asvis desired. Excess water will find its way through the outlet 18 of the head; 1

The lower; side of the plug 32 may have a tapering seat as is indicated at 31 so that it ;will be under the influence of pressure conditions prevailing. In that way it is very sensitive to, any fluctuation in pressures all to the end that the stream being discharged by the nozzle will remain constant and any excess water will be discharged into the waste'chamber. i

' Normally the plug 32 will rest on its seat and substantially all of the water delivered to the nozzle will pass through the discharge bores and 35. The valve controlling water delivered to the head will be set toaccomplish this, but as Istated iffor any reason the pressure'in the system increases then the plug operates'to allow the escape of surplus water to thereby maintain the desired uniformityof the discharge by the tip upwardly through the orifice and between the cheek or through the cowl ofthe head. The modification of the invention shown in Fig. 4 will now be described.

In this form of the invention a head 40' is formed to have an inner chamber 42 as in the former case. An upper wall 44 is provided with an orifice 46 and a lower hub 48 receives a water supply pipe 49.

A nozzle 50 is provided to extend into the chamber and may be held in place by a" threaded part 51 screwed into the hub. This nozzle is disposed in a vertical relation and a discharge nipple 52 in the form of a-tube extends from the upper or discharge end thereof in an angular relation. This nipple 52 is arranged to discharge water upwardly through the orifice as in the former case and asis indicated by the arrow in Fig. 4.

By arranging the parts so that the cowl extends beyond the orifice water will not drip fromthe cowl through the orifice or from around the orifice onto the nozzle. By directing the stream in an angular relation it is convenient to drink from a fountain employingthe head. 1

The nozzle may take various forms but in all cases it will preferably consist of relative under the influence of pressure prevailing in the system, so as to release excess pressure. The lower side of the plug is to be made so that its action is dependent on the pressure but need not necessarily have the tapering bore. The nozzle or tip may be secured within the head in any suitable manner, but in the forms of the invention shown it is provided with a. threaded lower shank portion 28 which screws into a suitable threaded opening in the head. 7 Y I Various changes may be made in theform spirit and scope of the invention, therefore I wish to be limited, if at all, by the following claims rather than by the foregoing description. 1 What I claim'is: Y e 1. A drinking fountain apparatus comprising in combination, a hollow nozzle having an outlet in a side thereof, a cap in the upper side of said nozzle and a plug movable of the invention'without departing from the therein, the said plug and cap being provided with bores therethrough. V

2. A drinking fountaln apparatus comprising in combination, a nozzle havinga central bore and a discharge opening in a side thereof, a cap in the upper end of said bore having an axial opening therein, a plug'in said bore movable past the opening in the side of the nozzle and being provided with a central bore. 2

3. A'drinking fountain apparatus comcentral bore therethrough and a discharge opening in a side thereof adjacent its lower end, a plug reclprocable 1n sald bore of the nozzle havmg a central bore, a seat associat- 'ed with the bore of said nozzle adjacent the lower side of said opening on which the lower end of said plug may seat and the lower end of the bore in said plug being enlarged.

1 In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CHARLES ROBERGE.

ly movable parts one of which is acted on and V 

